I LOVE PUTTING ORDER TO PLAYROOMS!  I have flirted with the idea to have a private business where I am a consultant to mothers that need help weeding out toys and ordering the playroom.  I feel very confident in my classroom making the environment work but home is where the challenges lie...


My favorite part of environment is that you can say, "you just gotta change, this is not working"  and that is the way it goes.  Nothing else in life is so easy.  When I was a kid I would clean my room, arrange clothes, and order my materials before I could ever focus on any school work.  Sadly, as an adult my house falls apart now and my work piles up faster.  Nonetheless,  every Sunday I have a hidden pleasure of pulling the boys playroom together and watching them explore and care for all the work;  it is my way to play with toys!

My mom gave me these shelves and I can think of nothing more perfect for the baby.  In the classroom we present work on individual trays for the baby each cubby has its own activity.  It is easy to swap out when toys have been untouched for long periods.

This is a great example of what I always talk about at "Montessori In Your Home" meetings: de-cluttering space and presenting just one.  Ollie has four pull toys all crammed in a cubby; the second I took three out and put in storage he noticed it and came and got it to play with.  In a week I will switch it out for one of the others.

Ta da!  If only I could follow what I preach half the time.

These are my recycled containers.  An idea I got from Pinterest and my mother-in- law.  The top shelf are peanut butter containers that take a very long time to eat and clean but the clear jar makes it easy to see and the lids keep Oliver out and Clyde in.  The recycled coffin cans I printed images of the Legos off the computer and decoupaged.  The baskets are dollar bin Target, hell yeah!  Very, very cheap organization for little boys.  We would all love to go to the Container Store and buy up the place but this works too.

This little printer box I got from my mom.  She used to put little collections in it growing up.  I have a lot of fun arranging random objects in it.  I like to imagine them coming to life at the stroke of midnight.  My favorite is Papa Smurf and Spiderman in the corner philosophizing.  Anyway, fun to play eyespy or just to make little things get more attention.  I must also emphasize that the boys are in a sensitive period for little objects!

Spiderman: with great power comes great responsibility.  Papa Smurf: Smurf happens

The only quick tip I have is one a housekeeper told me.  Instead of picking a toy up here and some clothes there.  Grab a laundry basket and throw everything in, clearing one room, then the next, and bring all items to the room one time, then sort.  If I don't have time to sort it goes in the closet till my son asks where his things are and then he gets the job of unpacking.